Rotary steam-engine.



IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 5.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

H. NOAH.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12,1905

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

WMIW:

Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY NOAH, OF BAXTER, IOWA.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,216, dated June 2'7, 1905.

Application filed April 12,1905. Serial No. 255,857.

To all whom, it 71mg concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY NOAH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Baxter, Jasper county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Rotary Steam-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for rotary steamengines.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved valve-motion for rotary steam-engines.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements, hereinaftersetforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the complete engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section transversely of the engine-shaft. Fig. 3 is a vertical section longitudinally of the engine-shaft. Fig. 1 is a plan of the complete engine.

111 the construction of the engine as shown the numeral designates a base member, and 11 a cap member, which members conjunctively form a cylinder. The cylinder members 1O 11 are formed with flanges 12 13, projectiug laterally from their outersurfaces adjacenteach other and adapted to be connected by bolts to join the members rigidly yet detachably. Cylindrical steam-chambers l1 15 are formed in the cylinder members 10 11, onehalf of each chamber in each member, and said chambers are placed end to end and spaced apart. Anengine-shaft 16 is mounted for rotation in alining bearings formed in the central portions of the meeting margins of the cylinder members 10 11, and said shaft extends through the ccntral portions of the members which separate the steam-chambers and is centrally of said steam-chambers. 1ngressports 17, one of which is shown in Fig. 2, are formed in the cap member of the cylinder and enter the steam-chambers 1 1 15 a little to the rear of the vertical plane of the engine-shaft 16. Steam is supplied to the ingress-ports 17 through a pipe 18, provided with branches 19 20, leading, respectively, to said ports, the supply pipe being controlled in a common manner I by a valve 21. An oscillating valve 22 or 23 is mounted across each of the ingresswits 17 and is so arranged as tocut off said port when oscillated slightly in either direction. Egress or exhaust ports 21 25 are formed in the base member 10 of the cylinder and lead from the steam-chambers 14 15 a little to the rear of the vertical plane of the engine-shaft 16.

Piston-heads 26 27, each circular in form, are mounted rigidly on the engine-shaft l6 and within the steam-chambers let 15, said heads being of sufficiently less diameter than the chambers to provide space for the steam. The piston-heads 26 21' are provided withlugs 28 21'), radially thereof, andequipped with suitable packing 30. The lug 28 on the head 26 is arranged diametrically opposite the lug 29 on the head 27.

Backing-pistons 31 32 are mounted for vertical reciprocation in slide-bearings in the cap member 11 of the cylinder and are arranged to move rectilinearly across the upper portions of the steam-chambers and across grooves 33 in the peripheries of the piston-heads 26 27. Each of the backing-pistons 31 is provided with rollers in its side margins adapted for rolling contact at times with the peripheral flanges of the piston-heads, and each backingpiston also is provided with suitable packing. The backing-pistons 31 32 are in the vertical plane of the engine-shaft 16 and are connected by pitmen 33 3-1 to oppositely-extending cranks 35 36 on a shaft 37, said shaft being mounted for oscillation in bearings 38 on the cap member 11. Oppositely-extending cranks 39 10 are formed on the end portions of the shaft 37 and are connected by pitmen 11 a2 to bell-crank levers as 4 1, fulcrumed on stubaxles 15 16, seated in and extending outwardly from the ends of the cap member 11. The stub-axles 15 16 are parallel with and above the end portions of the engine-shaft. Disks 1'7 18 and 49 50 are mounted loosely on the stub-axlcs15 16 and are connected by rods 51 52 53 5 1, respectively, to the outer end portions of the oscillating valves 22 23, one pair of disks and rods to each valve, and the individuals of each pair of rods connecting on opposite sides of the axis of the res pective valve.

Each of the disks is formed with a lug or 56, projecting generally downward from its periphery.

Circular wheels 57 58 are mounted rigidly on the engine-shaft 16 outside the cylinder, and each wheel is provided with lugs 59 60, projecting radially from its periphery and spaced apart. The wheels 57 58 are provided with cam-faced bosses 61 62 on theirouter surfaces, and rollers 63 64 on the extremities of the longer arms of the bell-crank levers 13 44 ride at times on the faces of said bosses.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Preliminary to starting the engine the parts are positioned as shown, the ingress-port 17, leading to the steam-chamber 14, being open. and the other ingress-port being closed and the backing-piston 31 being down and the other, 32, being up The valve. 21 is then opened to supply steam through theopen. port 17 to the chamber 14, and said steam enters said chamber and exerts its force on the lug 28 and backing-piston 31, thereby moving the.

lug and rotating the head 26 and engine-shaft. Steam continues to enter the chamber. 1 1 until the lng engages the lug 56 and oscillates the disk 48, whereupon saiddisk acts. through the rod 51 andoscillates the valve 22 to close the port in which said valve is mounted., The oscillation of the valve 22,.as described, effects a reverse movementv of. the disk 477 through therod 52 and. places the lug 55 in position to be engaged by the lug 59 a little later, such later engagement reopening the valve 22. After the steam is cut olf by the valve 22 it exerts its expansive force solely until the. lug 28 passes the exhaust-port 24:, where it exhausts. Coineidently with the-exhaust of steam from the chamber lithe circular face of the boss 61 releases the bellcrank lever and permits the circularfaceof.

the boss 62. to engage the other lever and oscillate the shaft 37 (just following the opening of the valve 23 by the lug 59 on the wheel' 58 engaging a lug 55 on the diske9) to the end of shifting the relative positions of the backing-pistons through the mediumof the cranks 35 36. Then steam is applied to the lug 29 of the piston-head 27 to the rotation of the latter head and engine-shaft. The movements just described are alternated continuously, thus applying steam alternately to the piston-heads and maintaining anautomatic operation of the ingress-valves and backingpistons.

I claim as my invention 1. In a-rotary engine, two piston-heads arranged for alternate actuation, an engine-shaft:

adapted for rotation by said piston heads, Valves mounted for oscillation and controlling the entrance of steam to said piston-heads.

backing-pistons mounted for reciprocation alternately, and devices on the engine-shaft adapted to oscillate said valves and reciprocate said backing-pistons, said devices-comprising wheels on the engine-shaft, lugs on said wheels, stub-axles, disks on said stubaxlesand flexibly connected lto said ingressvalve, and lugs on said disks engaged by lugs on the wheels.

2. In a rotary engine, oppositely-arranged piston-heads, an. engine-shaft common to said heads, valve-controlled ingress-ports, oppositely-arranged backing-pistons, a crank-shaft controlling said pistons, and engaging devices on said engine-shaft adapted to act at times on the valves and crank-shaft, said devices comprising wheels on the engine-shaft, lugs on said wheels, stub-axles, disks on said stubaxles and flexibly connected to said ingressvalve, and lugs on said disks engaged by lugs on the wheels.

3. In a rotaryvengine,piston-heads formed. with grooved peripheries, lugs eXtend1ngra-..

dially from saidheads, backing-pistons ar:

ranged for reciprocation into and. out of said.-

grooved peripheries in opposition to said lugs, valve-controlled ingressports,. and engaging devices actuated by said piston-heads to o p-. erate said valves and backing -pistons,said devices comprising wheels on the enginershaft, lugs on said wheels, stub-axles, disks on, said stub-axles and flexibly connected-to said ingress-valve, and lugs on..sa1d.d1sks engaged.

by lugs on the wheels...

4. In a rotary, engine, an ingressrvalve.

extendingcranks on theendsof said shaft, an.

engine-shaft, cams on said engine-shaft, bell: cranks flexibly connected to said end cranks,

and rollers on said bell-cranks engaged bysaid cams.

6. Thecombination .of the backing-pistons, the crankshaft, the pitmen connecting said,

pistons and crank-shaft, bell-crank'levers,

pitmen connectingsaid levers and crank-shaft, an engineshaft, cams on 7 said engine-shaft. adapted to engage and oscillate said bell-crank levers, an ingress valve, disks oppositely. connected thereto, wheels-on the engine-shaft,

lugs on the disks, and lugs on the Wheels adapted to engage the lugs on the disks.

Signed by me at Baxter, Iowa, this lstday.

of April, 1905.

HENRY N OAH. Witnesses:

CHAS. BURDIOK, I

FRED, HAGER. 

